Like the 400 other passengers traveling on the space freighter Argo, Scott Thorne expected the two-year voyage to Terranova to pass quickly while he slumbered in biostasis. Little did he know that the Argo would pass through a mysterious space-time anomaly and emerge 500 years later in a distant, unexplored region of space with no hope of ever returning to Earth.

A renowned professor of planetology, Scott is enlisted by the crew to locate a hospitable world to colonize before the ship’s power reserves are exhausted. With his own life and those of the other passengers hanging in the balance, Scott directs the Argo to Proxima Tauri IIIB, the smaller world of an intriguing double planet system. At first the destination appears to be a wise choice—until the unprepared colonists land and discover what is waiting for them on the surface...

Excerpt:

Scott saw that the commander wore the dark black uniform favored by the employees of Terranova Corporation, or T-Corp, the corporate owners of the Argo as well as the administrators of the Terranova Colony. On one side of Adams’s broad chest was a stylized red “T” shaped like two intersecting narrow triangles.
Adams playfully punched Scott on the upper shoulder. “Jess tells me that you’re doing well. How do you feel?”
“Better all the time. At first I felt like I had been hit by a truck.”
Adams grinned. “I understand. I usually feel the same way after coming out of biostasis. It’s sort of like getting drunk—you don’t know why you keep doing it.”
Scott was taken aback by Adams’s demeanor. He seemed awfully young to be in charge of such a large starship, and Scott wondered why he did not recall meeting Adams previously.
“Commander, I need some answers about what’s going on here. Doctor Colby wasn’t very talkative.”
Adams glanced at Jessie with a puzzled look on his face.
She shrugged defensively. “I thought it best that the commanding officer be the one to break the news to our guest.”
“News? What news?”
Commander Adams folded his arms across his chest and sighed nervously. “We’ve had an unexpected deviation in our flight trajectory.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re off course—the Argo is presently in unexplored regions of deep space.”
“I don’t understand. How could this happen?”
Adams gestured toward Jessie’s illuminated computer monitor. “Blame it on the TCS. We recently learned it has some bugs in it.”
“You lost me. TCS?”
“Tachyonic Computer System—the Argo’s main computer. It apparently malfunctioned while we were all in biostasis, sending the Argo off course.”
“So make a course correction—”
“It’s not that simple, Scott,” Jessie interrupted.
“The Argo passed through some sort of unknown space anomaly. We are now too far to proceed to Terranova or return to Earth,” Adams said.
“Space anomaly?”
“Our navigator theorized that it was some sort of distortion in the fabric of the space-time continuum. In any case, the Argo passed through this wrinkle in space and emerged hundreds of light-years away from its original position.”
Scott rubbed his chin as he recalled reading a recent article on such phenomena in a prestigious scientific journal. “Space-time distortions have been theorized but never directly observed. If what you say is correct, we’ve made a significant scientific discovery.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “You may find that interesting from a scientific point of view, but the bottom line is that we’re on our own out here, Scott.”
“I understand.”
“It’s the only possible explanation, Professor Thorne,” Adams grumbled, “because not only are we hundreds of light-years off course, but we’re also hundreds of years off course.”
“Did you say years?”
“Yes. It was a space-time distortion. We estimate that the Argo has traveled forward in time by about 500 years.”
“Either that or 500 years elapsed in the outside universe in the meantime while the ship was trapped inside the space anomaly,” Jessie added. “Regardless, the effect is the same.”
“Five hundred years!” Scott gasped as the realization washed over him and turned his knees to rubber. “How could that be true? Surely I didn’t sleep in that miserable glass chamber for 500 years!”
“According to the ship’s internal chronometer, the Argo has been in flight for just ten years,” Adams explained.
“But it was only supposed to be a two-year voyage!”
Jessie motioned toward a darkened biostasis chamber on her right. “You can see that some of us weren’t very lucky in those ten years.”
Scott swallowed and glanced at his feet with embarrassment. “Sorry.”
She gently grasped his forearm. “Are you okay? I know it’s a lot to process.”
He did not respond as he grappled with the ramifications. “If what you say is true, then everything of our world is…gone.”
She bit her lower lip and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Scott drew a deep breath. “I would like to review your evidence of the existence of this space anomaly and check your calculations as soon as possible.”
“Of course,” Adams said. “However, we’re confident that our conclusions are correct.”
“We know that this news is very difficult to digest, Scott,” Jessie said. “It took us a while to accept it as well.”
“We estimate that it’s currently the year 2704 based on the relative location of various stars; however, our calculation is imprecise, and we may be off a few years,” Adams said.
Scott mouthed the year. It seemed unreal. They had been scheduled to arrive at Terranova Colony in the year 2191, and now it was 2704?
Unbelievable!

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Did you ever wonder what life will be like in 700 years? In an attempt to answer this question, many sci-fi authors focus too heavily on technology while downplaying the human element. Pilgrims’ Moon by Stacey S. Thompson transcends the typical space adventure by striking a satisfying balance between science and the characters that are affected by it. Not only is the reader exposed to futuristic concepts such as “biostasis” and “tachyonic computer systems,” but Thompson also writes a compelling tale with likable characters struggling to survive on a strange new world.

The story begins with protagonist Scott Thorne in 2704. Trained as a planetologist, Scott is tasked with finding a suitable home for the surviving passengers and crew aboard the damaged space freighter, Argo. The second half of Pilgrims’ Moon centers on how the colonists interact during the creation of their new society on planet Loki. It is in this setting that Thompson presents a vision of how future humankind will be driven by the same needs, wants, and desires that motivate their present day counterparts.

Many imaginative subplots enhance the main story line. Of special interest is the sexual tension that develops when Scott Thorne competes with Commander Cal Adams for the affection of Argo’s pretty medical doctor, Jessica Colby. One other noteworthy subplot involves 10-year-old passenger, Nadia Trebikov. This ebullient girl’s consistent courage during perilous situations made me especially sympathetic toward her character. Nadia develops into a role model for her adult companions, inspiring both them and me as a reader. Finally, if you enjoy experiencing life vicariously through other characters, don’t miss the chapter about the Bloom!

I doubt if any of us will be around in 2704 to judge the accuracy of Thompson’s vision, but I am confident in how he portrays humanity. What will life be like in 700 years? Pilgrims’ Moon answers it for us. The people living then will struggle, dream, love, and survive, just as we do today – just as we always have.

Stacey...congrats! Cover looks fantastic, and I'll be ordering my copy later this week.
Sounds like your follow-up is gonna be another winner as well...way to go, man.

Reviewed by Monique B. Kenray

6/23/2003

Stacey after reading so many of your posts on PA's message board, I decided to check out your site. And after reading the excerpt... I'm not into Sci-Fi, but this sounds good. My husband loves Sci-Fi and will like Pilgrims' Moon.

Good looking cover. I've always been intrigued by the vastness of space and the possibility of life on other planets. Or moons. Stories like yours make good food for thought about what could be out there. The Argo is in an unexplored region of space and as the reader, we become a passenger and are carried along with them.

First of all I've always loved Science Fiction(I've seen every Star Trek episode ever made) This excerpt does pique my interest and it looks like you are writing from your heart---that adds a touch of realism that generates an "anything-is-possible attitude.", GOOD WORK!!!!

Stacey,
'Pilgrims' Moon' sounds like a page-turner. Great title, as well. Good luck with it and I'll check back for a publication date. PA did a great job with my first novel. I was very impressed with their professionalism. Again, good luck on book one. You writing a sequel yet?

Sounds good. I love sci-fi. You should go ahead and put the first chapter or so on here, let people get to read a bit. Tease them, that always makes them want to read more. I'll see you on the PA mesage board.
Check out my site here. Good luck with everything.